Tiger Lily
by The Azure Penguin
Summary: An Ukyo oneshot fic...when her beloved Ranchan finally tells her the hard truth.


**Disclaimer: **I don't own Ranma ½, or any of its characters. The song, "Tiger Lily" used in this fan fiction is by the band Matchbox Romance, from their album, "Stories and Alibis".

**A/N:** This is my first Ranma ½ fan/song fic, based on my favorite character, Ukyo! ) Reviews are very much appreciated! Ü and err, please go easy on me. It's my first time here, you see. XD

Well, on to the fic!

"**Tiger Lily"**

**An Ukyo song/fan fiction by The Azure Penguin.**

_we drive tonight,  
_

_and you are by my side._

For the first time in a long while, Ukyo Kuonji felt happy.

She was feeling this way because she finally got to go out with her beloved Ran-chan, even if he only considered it as a "friendly date", born out of the fact that he owed her a great deal of money for practically destroying half of her restaurant in one of his frequent tussles with his arch rival/ "friend", Ryoga Hibiki.

But still. A date was a date.

They went to a movie called "Kung Pow", a parody of martial arts films. Ranma was laughing so hard at the slapstick, Ukyo had no choice but to laugh too, mainly because it _was_ funny, added to the fact that she just felt plain giddy with Ranma by her side.

No one to interfere this time, no Akane, Shampoo, Cologne, Mousse, and all the other Nerima residents that just seem to pop up whenever Ranma was around. Needless to say, she got the time she wanted with him—alone. After the movie, they ate at a fastfood chain, and were on their way to the park.

Although the night was going well, she was the teeniest bit disappointed that the evening had no romance in it. Sure, he won her a stuffed penguin in the carnival, but that was mostly because he wanted to prove that he wouldn't lose to Ukyo in a game of Toss. And yeah, he did buy her cotton candy, but she guessed that was another way of paying his debt to her.

_we're talking about our lives,  
_

_like we've known each other forever.  
_

_the time flies by,  
_

_with the sound of your voice.  
_

_it's close to paradise,  
_

_with the end surely near.  
_

"Hey, Ucchan," Ranma's voice broke into her thoughts, which made her smile at the way he used his childhoond nickname for her when they were kids. "Yep, Ran-chan?" "Remember when we were little…?"

Ukyo and Ranma were laughing out loud as they walked in the direction of the dojo. They were both reminiscing and telling each other stories about their childhood, when Ranma thought she was a boy, and their various fights, games, and play dates. Ukyo brushed a tear of mirth from her eye, and was gasping. "Y-yeah…I r-remember that one." Ranma chuckled. "I still can't believe you thought I turned into a monkey!" "Well, now you turn into a _girl_, so I guess it wasn't _that_ far-fetched," Ukyo giggled.

Ranma grinned, and continued to push her on the swing she was on. They were now at the park, and it was a beautiful evening. Ukyo sighed contentedly. She could have lived in this moment forever.

_if i could only stop the car  
_

_and hold on to you,  
_

_and never let go...  
_

_i'll never let go.  
_

Ranma stopped the swing. Ukyo turned to him with a questioning look in her eye, and he said, "It's getting late, Ucchan. Why don't we head home?" "Sure, sweetie." She got off the swing, and together, they started walking back in the direction of the dojo.

_as we round the corner  
_

_to your house  
_

_you turned to me and said,  
_

_"i'll be going through withdrawal of you for this one night we have spent."  
_

When they reached the corner leading to the dojo, Ranma stopped in his tracks. Again, Ukyo was confused. "Ranma-honey? Is everything alright?" Ranma looked at her, and she couldn't help but notice a hint of sadness in those blue eyes of his. "Ran-chan? What is it?"

He blew out a breath. "Ucchan…I…I just wanted to thank you for all those times and memories…you know, the ones we talked about earlier…? Uh…I want to thank you..for being my best friend…up to now. You know…you were my first best friend…and _**always will be**_…and.. um…I know I never say this, or even show it, but uhh, thanks, Ucchan."

_and, i want to speak these words  
_

_but i guess i'll just bite my tongue,  
_

_and accept "someday, somehow"  
_

_as the words that we'll hang from.  
_

Ukyo's smile faltered at this. "Ran-chan…" She stopped. She wasn't dense, she knew what he meant…knew what he was trying to say. They were best friends, and _always will be, no more, no less._

The pleading look in Ranma's eye seemed to convey the hope that she wouldn't cry and break down right then and there, (she knew he wasn't good at those kinds of things, so it must be taking him a great deal to say this) and she gave him that satisfaction. For now, at least.

She took a deep breath, then forced a smile. "Sure, no problem, Ran-ch…Ranma. I guess..I'll be going now. Visit the restaurant sometime, ok?" And with those words said, she turned on her heel and left Ranma standing there, unable to say anything else. After all, what did you tell a girl whose heart you just broke? "I guess sorry won't be enough," he murmured to himself.

_and i...i don't want to speak these words.  
_

_cause i, i don't want to make things any worse.  
_

As Ukyo walked down the street, a million thoughts ran through her head. "Ranma…" she whispered to herself. "I love you…" Why couldn't he understand that? Or maybe he did, but the sad truth was, as revealed only a few minutes ago, he didn't feel the same. But…didn't he realize that she loved him first? Way before Akane, Shampoo, Kodachi, and all the others? Sure, she bore a 10-year grudge against him, but under all that…why would she have cried that much when he left her?

_Best friend…_what a wonderful word, yet cruel in this way for her. To be seen as _not more than one _hurt more than just plain being dumped. At least, when you were dumped with no foundation whatsoever of friendship between, you could've gotten over the fact that you guys just didn't connect, and there wasn't even much to begin with but pure admiration. But to be friends…good, even **best** friends, and to find out there was nothing more…after…after all she did. God, she even put her restaurant at stake for him! She shook her head, forcing back the tears. She was _not_ going to cry…no. Not out in the street, at the least.

_why does tonight, have to end?  
_

_why don't we hit restart,  
_

_and pause it at our favorite parts.  
_

_we'll skip the goodbyes.  
_

She wondered why these things had to happen. She thought of their past, of the night they just spent together, and wished she could just rewind them, and re-live them again and again until the end. Back in the blissful days of childhood, where heartache and heartbreak didn't exist, where the only things they had to worry about was who got the last chocolate bar or okonomiyaki. Back when nothing seemed to matter.

_if i had it my way,  
_

_i'd turn the car around and runaway,  
_

_just you and i.  
_

If only…If only she could turn back time. If there was only some way, somehow, to go back. To force this painful feeling rising up in her chest…or was it her heart? Back into the depths it came from. She wanted to run, run, until time and speed and sound were nothing but a blur, and just suddenly stop at the day when she first met that blue-eyed boy with dark hair. That boy who, when he smiled, seemed to make everything feel alright again. The same boy who just broke her heart outright just a few moments ago.

_and i... I don't want to speak these words.  
_

_cause i, I don't want to make things any worse._

As Ukyo opened the restaurant door, she walked in and closed it again. She didn't bother to turn the lights on, and she sunk down to the floor.

With her arms on her knees, she leaned her head on them, and slowly, silently, she let the tears fall.

**A/N:** Eep. So there…my first one. What do you think? Love it? Hate it? Reviews are very much appreciated!


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